Central Texas toddler's snake bite prompts concerns

Many snakebites occur when a person tries to catch, kill or otherwise engage with a venomous snake.

Many snakebites occur when a person tries to catch, kill or otherwise engage with a venomous snake.

Photo: Shannon Tompkins/Houston Chronicle

Photo: Shannon Tompkins/Houston Chronicle

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Many snakebites occur when a person tries to catch, kill or otherwise engage with a venomous snake.

Many snakebites occur when a person tries to catch, kill or otherwise engage with a venomous snake.

Photo: Shannon Tompkins/Houston Chronicle

Central Texas toddler's snake bite prompts concerns

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ABILENE, Texas (AP) — Central Texas residents are expressing concerns about snake activity after a 1-year-old boy was hospitalized from a rattlesnake bite.

The toddler is recovering after being bitten on the hand by a 1-foot-long (0.3-meter) rattlesnake while playing outside his home in Abilene Tuesday, the Abilene Reporter-News reported.

Taylor County's game warden James Cummings said he's been fielding more calls about rattlesnakes recently. Increased snake activity is linked to a growing rodent population, the reptile's food source, he said. Heat is another factor since snakes try to find shade and cooler spots in the summer months, Cummings said.